From the Other Side of the Multiverse
by Elegant Soul
Summary: Audrey, Nathan, and Duke must figure out why three teenagers, four aliens, and a man who is paradox, appeared in Haven.
1. Newcomers to Haven

_Note: Hi. This is a thank you story for SilverMidnight52, for all the hard work, kindness, and putting up with me. I do not own Haven or Ben 10, the people who created them did. _

_I do own the villainess who appears in the story . . . well, kind of; I'll explain later._

_The story takes places in Season 3 of Haven. I apologize if I got any of the character's personalities wrong. Oh, like an episode of Haven, there will be Stephen King references. _

From the Other Side of the Multiverse

Ch.1: Newcomers to Haven

Audrey and Nathan didn't know what to make of the Duke's phone call. All he said that a Trouble appeared in the Grey Gull, and they need to see it.

As Nathan and Audrey exited the Bronco, they saw Duke sitting outside, with the radio on, reading a book. Duke looked up from his book as he saw Audrey and Nathan walking towards him.

"Duke?" Audrey asked as he stood up, turned off the radio, and picked it up. "What are you doing out here? What about the Trouble?"

"I couldn't take their squabbling anymore," Duke said as he opened the door to the Grey Gull.

Audrey and Nathan had no idea what Duke was talking about until they stepped inside.

"It's your fault we're stuck in this boring dimension, Blukic!"

"You can't blame this on me, Driba!"

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't!"

In the middle of the Grey Gull was some sort of machine that looked like the classic sci-fi teleportation unit. Standing on the equipment were two small grey frog-like creatures, arguing with each other. One was thin and wore overalls, while the other one wore a white outfit and was pudgy.

Watching the creatures argue from the bar stools was a teenage boy with green eyes and short brown hair; he kept working on a strange high-tech device around his wrist, like a watch. Next to him was a teenage girl with short orange hair and wore blue rimmed glasses over her green eyes. She was busy reading a small leather-bound book.

Sitting on a stool was another teenage boy with black hair that went down to his shoulders and black eyes. He had a start of a beard and a cross-shaped scar on his chin. This teenager was bouncing a small ball to entertain his dog, or some creature that looked like a dog crossed with a dinosaur. This . . . dog was bluish-grey in color, had a jagged upper jaw, pointed ears, long legs, and three pointed toes on each foot. It also had sharp red eyes, black lines on the neck and legs, and a grey spike-fin starting from the top of the head and ended like a tail. Audrey and Nathan both surmised that whatever this creature is, it must be a pet, since it wore a light blue collar with a gold bone-shaped dog tag.

Sitting in a booth was a humanoid being wearing a blue and black outfit, working on a strange gun. It was tall, with very short periwinkle-blue fur, with very short white fur in the middle of the face. There were black markings around the face and on top of the head, a flat nose, and small pointed ears. The sclera was yellow, the irises were red, and the pupils were cat-like.

Before Nathan or Audrey could speak, the two small creatures began arguing again.

"Well, it's not my fault that the teleportor broke," the thin one, Blukic, said. "You were the one messing with the controls."

"I wasn't anywhere near the controls!" the pudgy one, Driba, retorted.

"You were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

Duke locked the door to the Grey Gull and placed his book and radio down, before he looked at the small creatures. He sighed and rolled his eyes, then walked up to Blukic and Driba.

"Listen to me," Duke said, bending down so Blukic and Driba could see him and they paused in their fighting. "If you don't shut up soon, the special for tonight's dinner is going to be frog legs."

Blukic and Driba blinked their eyes in an inhuman way before grumbling and began working on the teleportor. Duke straightened himself up and looked at the brown-haired teenager.

"I don't know how you put up with them," Duke said.

"Eh, you learn to ignore them," the boy said in a casual tone.

"Yes; I believe you humans refer to it as 'white noise,'" the humanoid being said.

"'Humans?'" Nathan questioned. "Duke, what's going on here?"

"Shouldn't we wait until he returns?" the teenage girl asked.

"Gwen, we don't know when he'll return," the black-haired teenager said. "He'll return when he'll return."

"Kevin's right, Gwen," the brown-haired teenager said. He then walked up to Audrey and Nathan, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you; I'm Ben Tennyson, the universe's best hero."

"And has the ego the size of the universe," the teenage girl said, rolling her eyes and joining Ben. "I'm Gwen Tennyson, Ben's much more mature and humble cousin."

Ben glared at Gwen, who gave him a teasing smile in return. It was obvious to Audrey, Duke, and Nathan that the teasing was just an act and these cousins really did care about each other.

"What's up?" the black-haired teenager said, walking up to them, "name's Kevin Levin." The dog-creature barked, making Kevin smile. "Oh, yeah, she's Zed, my . . . uh . . . alien dog."

"Greetings," the humanoid alien said in a friendly tone, joining the others. "My name is Rook Blonko. I am pleased to meet the law enforcement of this town named Haven."

"You're not human, are you?" Nathan asked, as he shook Rook's hand.

"You are correct. I am a Revonnahgander," Rook said, revealing large pointed upper canines as he spoke.

"And you met our Galvan tech support, Blukic and Driba," Ben said, indicating the small aliens, "the dumbest geniuses in the Milky Way Galaxy."

"Don't believe him! We are real geniuses!" Driba yelled out, indignantly, "although, I am the wisest in the duo."

"No, you're not! I am!" Blukic retorted.

"I am!"

"I am!"

"I am!"

"I am!"

"I am!"

"I am!"

"Oh, good, you're all here," a new voice said behind them.

Audrey, Duke, and Nathan turned around to see a man with dark brown hair and dark eyes walking towards them. He wore a faded white lab coat over a white shirt, a black tie, and a dark mustard yellow vest. He wore black pants and shoes. Around his neck were green-tinted goggles.

Nathan and Audrey were confused. Didn't Duke lock the door? Why didn't they hear him come in? The man stopped in front of Duke.

"Duke Crocker, you look stressed; have a gumball," the man said, taking out a gumball from his coat pocket and placing it in Duke's hand. He then looked at Nathan and Audrey.

"It is nice to meet you, Nathan Wuornos. Is it Chief or Detective now? You must forgive me, I'm still getting use to your dimension," the man said to Nathan. He then looked at Audrey and smiled.

"Might I say, it is both a pleasure and honor finally meeting you, Audrey Parker. If I may be so bold," the man said, bowing and kissed Audrey's hand.

"Um, thank you, Mister . . ." Audrey said.

"Paradox; Professor Paradox at your service," Paradox said.

"Professor Paradox?" Nathan asked in an incredulous tone.

"It's what I call myself. I forgotten my real name several hundred years ago," Paradox said and sat down on a chair. He looked at Nathan, Audrey, and Duke. "You have some many questions in your heads right now you don't know where to start, then I shall start for you: 'How did we get here?' You already know the answer: a Trouble."

"Again, I ask, what is a Trouble?" Kevin asked.

"They'll explain it for you," Paradox said, indicating Audrey, Nathan, and Duke, returning his gaze to them. "From your reaction to Rook, it is fair to say aliens have not visited Earth in your dimension."

"Our dimension?" Audrey asked.

"Imagine your universe as a tree, if you will," Paradox said, standing up, "and our universe as another tree growing somewhere else. We are just a leaf that just landed on your branch."

That actually made sense to Audrey, Nathan, and Duke.

"Can't you . . . go back to your home now?" Duke asked. Paradox smiled, as if amused by Duke's question.

"Oh, if only it were that simple, my dear boy," Paradox said. "To go back to the tree analogy again, someone glued our leaf to your branch."

"You can't leave?" Nathan asked.

"No matter how hard I try," Paradox admitted.

"So this person is bringing people and aliens to Haven from other dimensions?" Nathan asked.

"Not just anyone," Paradox said. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke looked confused. "Think about it: I walk in eternity, the Galvans were testing their teleportor with the children . . ."

"Travel," Audrey said, figuring it out. "The Trouble only works on beings who can travel without human built vehicles."

"Oh, I like her," Paradox said in a low voice to Duke and Nathan, smiling. "Well, since you solved that part, now you know what you must do next: find this Trouble person and free us."

"Wait, don't you know?" Ben asked.

"Me? Weren't you listening? I'm still getting myself use to their dimension," Paradox said. "Besides, I have important issues to attend."

"Like what?" Kevin asked.

"There might be _hostile _life forms brought here," Paradox said. "Did you even think about that?"

"Um, no," Kevin said.

"Then I should be going," Paradox said, and looked at Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. "Take the children with you, they'll be helpful, and, no, it's not a suggestion."

"Wait," Rook said. "You said aliens have not visited this Earth. Would not my appearance frighten the townspeople?"

"Not at all," Paradox calmly said. "From what they've been through, you'll be a . . . benign surprise."

"Actually, he's right," Duke said.

"Wait, Paradox, how can we—" Audrey started to say, but Paradox was gone. She then looked at Ben and his friends.

"He does that," Ben said and shrugged. "You'll get used to it . . . some day."

"Paradox talked to you like you dealt with these situations regularly," Gwen said to Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. "What do you usually do next?"

"We can stop by the _Haven Herald_ and see if Vince and Dave heard anything like this before," Audrey said.

"Hey, would it be all right if Zed joins us? She's getting antsy staying inside," Kevin asked, indicating Zed pawing at the door.

"I . . . think that will work," Nathan said and Zed perked her ears up and wagged her tail. "But we do have a leash law in Haven."

Zed whined as Duke looked for some rope to use as a makeshift leash.

"Please continue your work on repairing the teleportor," Rook said to Blukic and Driba. Once Zed was ready, they started to leave.

"WAIT!" Blukic and Driba yelled, getting everyone's attention.

"You can't leave us like this! We need nutriments to continue!" Driba exclaimed.

"You want something to eat?" Duke asked.

"Well, if you want to put it in laymen's terms: yes," Blukic said.

"What do you want? Fried cockroaches?" Duke jokingly asked. He did not expect to see Blukic and Driba looking thrilled.

"Can we also have baked snails in blue sauce?" Driba happily asked.

"And metallic favored smoothies?" Blukic asked with a smile.

Duke sighed as he ran his hand down his face.

* * *

><p>Cthylla smiled as she dropped the dead body to the ground. She did not know how she arrived in dimension, but she will find out. This place was excellent. These humans with their Troubles were so delicious to feast upon.<p> 


	2. Return to Sender

Ch. 2: Return to Sender

Lucky, Blukic and Driba were content with cheese, crackers, and water. It was actually a pleasant journey to the _Haven Herald_. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke explained a brief history of Haven, which satisfied Ben and his friends, and the trio was glad; they really didn't want to go into the details of the Colorado Kid.

They also explained Troubles to the kids and alien, which resulted in Ben and Kevin poking Nathan when he said he couldn't feel anything; the boys stopped when Nathan _politely _told them. Duke said his Trouble was complicated (again, another subject they didn't want to go into detail) and Ben and his friends accepted that. They were amazed when Audrey said she was immune to Troubles.

"Would it be rude to say that's completely dull, yet totally awesome power at the same time?" Ben said with a small smile. Audrey couldn't help but smile back.

Most of the time, Ben and his friends did the talking. Ben explained (or as Gwen called it: bragged) the device on his wrist was called the Omnitrix, which allowed him to change into a variety of aliens. Gwen has the ability to wield magic.

"It's actually using mana," Gwen said. "Mana is—"

"Can we just say you use magic?" Duke asked. "I'm still wrapping my head on how that Omnitrix works."

"Right; sorry," Gwen apologized with a small smile. She was aware that she was blushing as Duke smiled back at her. Kevin rolled his eyes, and was about to say something rude, when Audrey asked him if he has any special abilities. Kevin has the power to take on the properties of any material he touches.

Paradox was right that the townspeople of Haven treated Rook, and even Zed, as a 'benign surprise.' One old woman told Kevin she felt bad for him seeing what happened to his friend and his dog. Rook almost asked what she was talking about, when Duke changed the subject, asking Rook about his weapon. Rook explained his weapon, the Proto-Tool, could change into numerous equipment and the different functions it has.

The group soon reached the _Haven Herald_. Vince and Dave looked up from their work when they heard the door open.

"Audrey, good to see you; how can we—" Vince stopped talking when Rook entered the building.

"It's a long story," Audrey said.

* * *

><p>Audrey couldn't believe it would be this hard to find information on the Trouble person. Even with nine people researching, nothing turned up. Audrey took a quick break and looked around. She smiled seeing Zed napping in the corner. It took a while for Kevin to convince the Teague brothers that Zed would behave off leash, and Kevin was quite proud seeing he was right.<p>

Audrey was caught off guard when Nathan tapped her shoulder and motioned to her to meet him on the other side of the room.

"What is it?" Audrey asked in a soft voice as Nathan put away his phone.

"Members of the Novelli and Keegan families were found murdered," Nathan whispered. "It looks like someone or something sucked the life from them. Paradox was right about hostile life forms being brought to Haven."

"We should—" Audrey began.

"They almost asked for our help, until I mentioned we were busy looking after aliens, then they said they'll handle the case on their own," Nathan said. Audrey tried to hold in her laughter.

"I can't believe you're not bored before me, Tennyson," Kevin said.

"Huh, that is weird," Ben said. Gwen looked around the room.

"Maybe with Vince and Dave here . . . it's sort of like being with Grandpa Max again," Gwen said, as Audrey and Nathan returned to the group. Ben looked at the Teague brothers.

"Yeah, you're right," Ben said, smiling.

"Your Grandpa Max sounds like a wonderful man," Dave said.

"Yeah, he's actually fun to be with," Ben said, thinking it over for a while. "He got us more involved in aliens . . . unintentionally."

"Max Tennyson is also the Magister of Earth," Rook added.

"Now that's a career," Vince said with a smile.

Audrey noticed a tinge of jealously in Nathan's and Duke's eyes. She understood why; Nathan and Duke would trade anything to have a kind family like Ben and Gwen, rather than the harsh life that was given to them.

"Well, I got nothing," Kevin said, pushing aside some papers, as Zed woke up and looked at him. Kevin studied the paper in front of him. "There're a lot of articles on this Colorado—"

The sound of two cars being thrown into each other interrupted Kevin. Everyone got up to see a group of heavy-built robots walking the streets of Haven, destroying everything in sight.

"I take it robots are unusual to see in Haven," Ben said, seeing the adults' faces.

"Not just any robots. Those are Techadon Robots," Rook said, looking at the robots. "They are formidable war machines with powerful weapons and nanite-based regenerative technology."

"Oh, great," Duke said.

"That is human sarcasm, correct?" Rook asked Ben.

"Yeah, Rook. Come on! We got a town to save!" Ben said and he and his friends raced outside. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke soon followed them.

Kevin touched the street and turned himself into concrete, while Zed ran at the Techadon Robots, barking, trying to distract them. Gwen's skin glowed purple as her hair changed into pink energy and her eyes glowed pink. Rook began firing at the Techadon Robots.

"Get ready to be amazed by the awesomeness of Four Arms!" Ben said and slammed his palm against the Omnitrix. Ben was covered by a flash of green light. When the light vanished, standing in Ben's place was a blue monkey around Ben's height with four arms and four green eyes.

"Spidermonkey?" Spidermonkey said in a somewhat disappointed tone. He then looked at the adults. "Oh, well, still get ready to be amazed!"

Spidermonkey climbed up a lamp post and jumped onto a Techadon Robot.

Audrey, Nathan, and Duke noticed a few Techadon Robots broke away from the main group and begin targeting some townspeople. Audrey and Nathan fired at the robots; their bullets ricocheted off the war machines.

"Of course our guns are not going to work on them!" Duke commented.

"Duke, shut up, and get those people out of here!" Nathan ordered. Duke was already shepherding people away who decided to stop-stare-and-record-on-cell phones; making a smart comeback at Nathan could wait.

Audrey and Nathan dove out of the way in opposite directions as a Techadon Robot fired a laser at them, hitting a car instead. Nathan began to get up . . .

"Nathan!" Gwen exclaimed, appearing next to him. "Your leg . . ."

Nathan noticed that one of his legs was bleeding; glass stuck out in odd angles.

"Oh, wow, you really can't feel anything," Gwen said in a sympathetic voice, kneeling down, examining his injury. "Don't worry; I've been practicing my healing spells."

Gwen placed a hand over Nathan's leg and chanted. The glass and blood vanished and even the fabric of his pants mended itself.

"How does that fe—" Gwen realized what she was about to say and smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry. Your leg is healed now."

Nathan just nodded his thanks and looked for Audrey.

Only to see a Techadon Robot standing over her, its arms raised.

Zed ran up to the Techadon Robot and bit into an arm, refusing to let go. The robot shook its arm, trying to remove Zed. The robot then decided to use force, but Kevin ran up to it, changing his arms and hands into concrete hammers, and smashed the robot, as Zed jumped out of the way.

"Thank you," Audrey said as Kevin's hands returned to their original shape.

"Hey, I can't let a beautiful lady get killed," Kevin said, then slapped himself. "Look, um, don't tell Gwen what I said. She'll fry me and my car, in that order."

One of the Techadon Robots Rook was shooting at suddenly disappeared. Then it reappeared in front of Duke. Duke swore.

"Get down!"

Duke ducked just as Spidermonkey kicked away the Techadon Robot.

"It appears these units have teleportation technology," Rook stated as Spidermonkey jumped next to him. "That must be the reason why they were brought here."

"No, duh," Spidermonkey said. "Anything else you want to say, Captain Obvious?"

"My name is . . . never mind," Rook said. "I would like to say that the robots are regenerating at a slower pace than usual, which means—"

"Get to the point, Rook!" Spidermonkey exclaimed.

"They sacrificed the speed to recover in place of the teleportation upgrade," Rook said. "If we can somehow dismember them long enough, they'll cease to function."

"Cut them up? How can—I know! Hey, Gwen!" Spidermonkey got his cousin's attention. "Slice that robot in half!"

"Are you sure, Ben?" Gwen asked.

"Positive!"

"Okay," Gwen created a whip of pink light that split the robot apart.

"Take that!" Spidermonkey shot webbing from his tail and covered the broken pieces. After a while, the pieces stopped moving. Everyone noticed.

"Nice. This is going to be fun," Kevin said, changing his arms and hands into blades, slicing the robot in half.

Soon all the Techadon Robots were separated and covered in webbing. As Audrey, Nathan, and Duke reunited with Ben and his friends, the Omnitrix beeped, and Spidermonkey was surrounded by a flash of green light. When it was gone, Ben was there. Kevin and Gwen reverted back to their human forms.

"Come on, was that cool or was that cool?" Ben asked with pride in his voice.

"It would be cool, if we weren't running for our lives," Duke said.

"Now that the Techadon threat has been neutralized," Rook began, as Ben was trying to figure out what Duke said was an insult or a compliment, "we should disposal of—"

A strange sound was then heard. The Techadon Robots glowed and vanished.

"What was that?" Audrey asked.

"It sounded like a cross between a whistle and . . . a clarinet?" Gwen said.

"You can tell the difference between those two sounds?" Kevin asked.

"Whatever it was, it summoned the Techadon Robots," Rook said. "This is not good; someone has the Techadon Robots at their command."

"Hey! We got it!" Dave called out. Vince and Dave poked their heads out of the _Haven Herald. _Everyone ran back inside.

"Dave and I thought it sounded familiar, then we found it! The Polynesian wedding!" Vince said. The others looked confused. "It was . . . I'll tell you later . . . a Polynesian wedding appeared in front of town hall! This was the person who was responsible!"

"Noel Schuyler," Dave said as the Teague brothers handed out papers. "Noel Schuyler loved to travel, but if he was stuck in Haven too long, he got restless."

"So instead he brought the places he wanted to visit here," Vince said.

"Then let's visit this Noel Schuyler guy," Ben said, not even looking at the papers.

"Hold on, Ben," Gwen said, double-checking what she read. "Noel and his family were vacationing in Duma Key. The family went out sailing, when a storm hit. Noel . . . didn't make it."

Ben looked like he wanted to hit himself for his ignorance.

"However, his wife, Cecilia, and his son, Holden, survived," Gwen read out loud.

"Troubles run in the family," Audrey said. "It has to be Holden."

"Whoa," Gwen said as she read. "It says here Cecilia was severely traumatized after the accident. She now suffers from paranoia and agoraphobia."

"Is that contagious?" Kevin asked.

"Agoraphobia means she's scared to leave her house," Gwen explained.

"See, this is why I love smart women," Kevin said, wrapping his arm around Gwen's shoulders, making her smile.

"Aw, man! I'll go crazy just staying at home! It's like . . . being grounded, except not being punished. I'll do anything to leave the house . . . by . . . any . . . means . . . necessary . . ." Ben slowly concluded.

"Here's the address," Dave said, handing Audrey a small piece of paper.

"What are you standing around here for? Go! Before an alien invasion fleet lands at our doorsteps!" Vince said.

"Not to worry, gentlemen. I'm an expert in fighting off—HEY!" Duke grabbed Ben's arm and dragged him out.

Vince and Dave watched the group leave. They then surveyed the damage before them.

"Well, Dave, how are we going to explain this one?" Vince asked.

"I got an idea, Vince! Let's get to work!" Dave said.


	3. Run Away, Runaway

_Note: Wow! I didn't think this story would get reviews since it's in an obscure category. Thank you! To the reviewers:_

_To stone king: Sorry. I can't even comprehend how to put Generator Rex into this story._

_To Aztec 13: You revealed my confession! Okay, so the villainess, Cthylla, is a mixture of a Lovecraft monster and a Stephen King monster. This is why I said the villainess is kind of mine. (In a sardonic tone): yay for my creativity. I apologize again, but no more characters from Ben 10 are going to appear in the story. Maybe mentioned, but not appear. I think I have two more chapters to write before it's finished._

_Oh, the Schuyler family is my own creation._

Ch. 3: Run Away, Runaway

The Schuylers have a nice two-story house with a small garden in front.

"Stay here," Nathan told Ben and his friends. "We'll interview the Schuylers."

"An excellent strategy," Rook commented before Ben could ask: "Why?" "Until this situation resolves itself, I believe it is best we should all play our strengths."

"So they do the talking, while we beat up the bad guys?" Kevin asked, "Works for me."

Kevin sat down on the curb, picked up a stick, and threw it, so he could play fetch with Zed. Ben, Gwen, and Rook sat down next to him. Once Audrey, Nathan, and Duke felt Ben and his friends couldn't be seen from the house, they walked up to the front door. Nathan knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a muffled female voice asked from inside.

"Ma'am, this is Haven PD," Nathan said. "Are you Cecilia Schuyler?"

The door opened a crack.

"Let me see your badges again," Cecilia said. Audrey and Nathan placed their badges closer so she could see them. Once Cecilia was satisfied, she opened the door completely. Cecilia had dark blonde hair and brown eyes. She looked older than her years.

"Who are you?" Cecilia asked.

"I'm Nathan Wuornos and this is Audrey Parker," Nathan said. "May we come in?"

"Yeah . . . sure," Cecilia said, letting them in; Duke followed them. "Who's that?"

"He's Duke Crocker. He's . . ." Audrey began.

"What's going on, Mom?" Coming down the stairs was a 10-year-old boy with auburn hair and hazel eyes.

"It's nothing important, Holden," Cecilia said. "Go back to your room."

"Mrs. Schuyler, I like to speak with you in private," Nathan said, taking Cecilia into another room, leaving Holden with Audrey and Duke.

"Hi, Holden," Audrey said in a friendly tone. "I'm Audrey, and this is my friend, Duke. May we see your room?"

"Why?" Holden asked.

"We're just curious," Audrey said.

"Well . . . okay. It's over here," Holden led them back upstairs into his room. The walls were covered with posters of travel destinations from all over the world. There were also pictures of constellations, comets, and other cosmic events. Most of his books were sci-fi novels, and there was a row of National Geographic magazines against a wall.

"You read National Geographic?" Duke asked, seeing the magazines.

"Yeah; I like to read the articles on different lands," Holden said and sat on his bed. "One day, I would like to visit them; that would be so cool."

Audrey and Duke looked at each other before looking at Holden again.

"Holden . . . how much do you know about your father?" Audrey asked.

"Dad? I do remember him. He told me of all the places he visited, and where he wanted to take Mom and me," Holden said with a small smile that soon disappeared. "I . . . don't remember the storm. The doctors said I blocked the memory. Mom was hurt too, in her mind. Does that make sense?" Audrey and Duke nodded. "Now Mom is always scared; she doesn't want me to leave the house. I feel like she doesn't want me to go anywhere. I wanted to go on a field trip where you spend the night at the museum, but Mom wouldn't let me."

Holden sighed and looked at Audrey and Duke.

"Is Mom in trouble? She's not a bad mom, she's just really scared. She's not mean; she lets me go to school, but I want to go on field trips as well," Holden said. "She's scared something bad is going to happen to me if I go too far away."

"What do you think, Holden?" Audrey asked.

"I think I could go on field trips," Holden said. "I think Mom's afraid because she sees me as a kid. When I'm grown-up and big, I'll be ready to protect Mom. Then we'll go on trips around the world."

Audrey and Duke smiled.

"Holden," Audrey said. "Has your mom told you about the Troub—"

"What are you telling my son?"

Cecilia stood in the doorway. Nathan was behind her with an apologetic look on his face that he couldn't distract her long enough.

"Mrs. Schuyler," Audrey said in a calm voice. "Did you know your husband was—"

"Trouble? That's what they called him; said he brought stuff from exotic locations here. When we were married, it stopped," Cecilia said.

"Did he still travel?" Audrey asked.

"Yes, but what does it have to do with Holden?" Cecilia asked. Her eyes widen in horror. "No, no, it's not possible."

"Mrs. Schuyler, it is possible," Nathan said.

"Holden is nothing like his father," Cecilia said and took Holden's hand.

"What are they talking about, Mom?" Holden asked.

"Are you kidding me? Look at his room!" Duke said.

"I don't know what you people want, but I want you all to leave," Cecilia said and walked downstairs, still holding Holden.

"Mrs. Schuyler," Audrey said, as they followed her. "Your son is Trouble. He has the same Trouble as his father. We want to help before his Trouble gets out of hand."

"What are you talking about? The most dangerous thing Noel brought here were pandas," Cecilia said when they got to the bottom of the stairs.

"I believe the more Noel and Holden are forced to stay, the farer they reached to bring exotic things back here," Audrey said, looking at Holden.

"You're not making any sense. Please go away," Cecilia said and opened the front door, only to have Ben run inside.

"Sorry," Ben quickly said to Cecilia. He then looked at Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. "We got a big problem!"

Ben's point was emphasized by the small explosion that destroyed a wall. Rook, Gwen, Zed, and Kevin fought their way through as they battled Techadon Robots.

Following the Robots, floating two feet off the ground, was an anorexic thin young woman with porcelain white skin. Her hair was the color of clouds and blew around her head by an unknown wind. She had orange eyes and blood red lips. She only wore a white slip.

"Okay, more bad news: I haven't seen her before," Ben said to Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. The woman slowly turned to face them.

"At last," she said with a sinister smile, as Ben's friends battled the Techadon Robots. "I have found the key, and a banquet."

"Look . . . whoever you are . . . you're not getting what you want," Ben said, and then worked on the Omnitrix. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke winced; Ben really needed to work on his negotiation skills. The woman's sinister smile grew.

"I am Cthylla, remember the name of your new master," Cthylla said. She then looked at Holden. "The key will come with me."

"No way!" Ben said and activated the Omnitrix. Ben changed into a humanoid beetle with glowing green eyes. He had a huge lower jaw and had a green and grey exoskeleton. On top of his head was a horn similar to the one of a Japanese rhinoceros beetle.

"Eatle?" Eatle said. "Okay. I can make this work."

Cecilia screamed and ran upstairs with Holden. Cthylla motioned to the Techadon Robots to follow them. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke ran after Cecilia.

"Wait, I can help!" Eatle said as he picked up a broken lamp and ate it. The three adults gave him odd looks. "What? It's how Eatle's power works! I thought people in Maine like to recycle!"

The trio said nothing, and tried to find Cecilia and Holden before Cthylla does. Eatle soon joined them.

"Where could she be?" Eatle asked.

"Audrey?" Nathan asked, looking at her.

Audrey pointed to a certain door. Nathan and Duke had to smile seeing Audrey instincts where right when they opened the door.

"Please, leave us alone," Cecilia begged, holding Holden close to her. "Get rid of those monsters and go!"

"Mrs. Schuyler, only your son can make those monsters go away," Audrey said in a calm voice.

"No, no," Cecilia said as she held Holden closer. "I don't want Holden to leave! I . . . can keep him safe."

"The key will be safe with me," Cthylla's voice said. Eatle, Audrey, Nathan, and Duke turned around to see Cthylla and four Techadon Robots.

"Oh, no, you don't," Eatle said, standing in front of the humans and shot green lasers from his horn at the Techadon Robots.

One of the Techadon Robots disappeared and reappeared in front of Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. It roughly shoved all three of them into a wall and they collapsed in a pile. The Techadon Robot aimed its laser at them.

"No," Cthylla said, looking at the unconscious trio and the Robot lowered its laser. "I do not like to waste food; perhaps a meal to go."

The remaining Techadon Robots reached for the three adults.

"Hey! What are you doing? Guys? Wake up!" Eatle called out to Audrey, Nathan, and Duke, while he was busy holding off a Techadon Robot.

He then saw pink energy blasts hit the Techadon Robots, and his friends enter the room.

"Finally!" Eatle said. "She's nuts! First she wants Holden, now she wants Holden _and _them!"

Cthylla narrowed her eyes in annoyance as Eatle and his friends tried to surround her.

"I will eat later," Cthylla said as Audrey, Nathan, and Duke began to wake up. "I will still have the key."

A huge long red black-ringed tentacle burst from her back, wildly swinging around. The tentacle reached for Holden's foot and pulled him away; both mother and child screamed. Before anyone could react, Cthylla released Holden and let him drop into the arms of a Techadon Robot, who quickly held Holden in a tight grip.

"Yes. I like to eat with the perfect ambience," Cthylla said, as the tentacle retreated into her back. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke quickly got to their feet.

A different Techadon Robot blasted a hole in the wall, while another one picked up Cthylla. The Omnitrix began beeping as the Techadon Robots flew away with Holden and Cthylla. As Ben returned to his original self, everyone ran to the hole, except Cecilia, who sat in the corner, crying. Kevin and Gwen returned to their humans forms as well.

"I am open to ideas," Rook said, when they lost sight of the Techadon Robots.

"Wait a minute," Gwen said. She blinked and her eyes glowed pink. "Cthylla is leaving a trail of strong corrupted mana. It's like smog coming from a factory."

"But can you follow it?" Rook asked.

"That I can," Gwen said and created a floating magenta disk in front of the hole. Ben and his friends hopped on.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't make it big enough," Gwen said, when she saw Audrey, Nathan, and Duke looking at it.

"That's fine; we'll follow in my Bronco," Nathan said.

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" Ben asked. Everyone gave Ben curious looks. "Fine; when you were out, Cthylla talked to you like you were nothing but food. I don't want her to . . . you know, eat you."

"Maybe we should stay here and help Cecilia," Audrey said, looking at her.

"No, I'll shall look after her," Paradox said, walking out from the shadows. He then looked at Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. "You must make sure the boy stays alive. Even if he's killed, Cthylla will not return to her original dimension. To truly rid Haven of this monstrously, Holden must live."

"Hey, you heard the man. Go start your car. We'll lead the way," Kevin said with a smile.

The three adults didn't say anything, and just ran downstairs. Paradox watched as they left. When he knew everyone was gone, he walked over to Cecilia.

"Cecilia Schuyler," Paradox said in a calm, but gentle voice. Cecilia stopped crying and looked at him with swollen eyes. Paradox gave her a kind smile. "Hello. The way I see it, you have two options. Option One: you can stay here hoping they will return with your son, while each second pass, you know your anxiety will increase. Option Two: make sure your son returns home safely."

Cecilia looked at Paradox in shock.

"The choice is yours. I will not give you any suggestions, but I will help you with your choice." Paradox said. "The only suggestion I have is to choose quickly and wisely."


	4. Come Back to Me

_Note: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter and the next one have quotes from Ben 10 episodes because . . . they're that good. _

_I apologize if I got my first aid wrong._

_Forgive me if the scenes with the Haven trio are too sappy and cheesy._

Ch.4: Come Back to Me

_If _he wasn't taken prisoner by robots and a . . . woman-monster-thing, Holden would have enjoyed the scenery. They were at a cove, with knolls covered with green grass, and a small cliff that curved off perfectly. Rocks and sand covered the shore, as the waves crashed against the beach. Cthylla stared out at the water, as Holden struggled.

"Let me go! Why can't I make you go away? I don't want to be eaten!" Holden protested. Cthylla turned to look at Holden and moved to face him.

"Eat you? No. Why would I eat the key who will grant me access to the multiverse?" Cthylla said.

"If I brought you here, why can't I make you leave?" Holden demanded. Cthylla smiled in response.

"Silly key, you do not have complete control of your powers. Why, you were not even aware of what you've done," Cthylla said and looked closely at Holden. "You can be at ease. When I'm in control, you will not need to master your powers. I shall be unstoppable."

"If you want to travel, why are you still here?" Holden asked. Cthylla tilted her head a bit. Her smile then grew and ran a finger down Holden's cheek, who tried to avoid Cthylla's touch.

"Very insightful for a young key; I saw a feast I must devour and I know they will try to rescue you," Cthylla said and looked around. "Because of your power, I now have access to food longed denied to me. Thanks to you, Maturin's protection is gone, and now I can indulge myself. Then we will travel throughout the universe and beyond. You will like it. I know in your heart you yearn to travel."

"Who's Maturin? And I'm not going with a creepy monster-woman!" Holden yelled.

Cthylla frowned, but it soon disappeared.

"If we are going to travel together," Cthylla said, "perhaps it is best if I remove your tongue, so I will not hear your contest weeping."

Holden fought to escape harder as Cthylla reached for his mouth.

"Not so fast!"

Standing on a hill were Ben, his friends, Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. Gwen changed while Kevin touched Nathan's Bronco and turned into metal. Kevin made a discouraged sigh when he saw he was the same color as Nathan's car.

"Okay, I highly recommend you repaint your car if you want to look cool," Kevin said. Nathan frowned at him. Kevin was about to say something, when Cthylla began madly laughing. "Why is the villain laughing now? They only laugh when they believe they've won."

"I am laughing because you unknowingly brought me a grand banquet!" Cthylla said, somehow hearing Kevin. Four huge long red black-ringed tentacles burst from her back, viciously lashing around. Each tentacle now had a dozen extremely sharp razors about five inches in length. She then looked at the Techadon Robot holding Holden. "Keep the key away from them."

"Seriously? Tentacles? Why do villains always have tentacles?" Ben said as the Techadon Robot holding Holden moved farer away from the group. Cthylla laughed again.

"I am not surprised you do not see the connection," Cthylla said.

"Wait, what?" Ben asked, now totally confused.

"I am Cthylla! The Great One was my great-grandfather! Diagon was my step-uncle!" Cthylla stated.

"Oh, yeah, now I see the family resemblance," Ben said in a clearly sarcastic tone.

"And now, I shall feast," Cthylla said.

One of Cthylla's tentacles shot out at them. They all dodged out of the way, but the tentacle found its target. The tentacle wrapped itself around Nathan and brought him close to Cthylla.

"Appetizer," Cthylla seductively whispered as she forced Nathan's mouth opened and her orange eyes glowed. Cthylla sucked in a silver mist that came from his mouth. Nathan's body went limp.

"Okay, it's hero time!" Ben said and activated the Omnitrix. Ben changed into a broad-shoulder humanoid made of durable pale green crystals. Long crystals shards were on his back and he had a sharp head. He had green eyes and wore a black and green outfit.

"Diamondhead! All right!" Diamondhead said. He and his friends ran at Cthylla, while Audrey and Duke followed them at a safe distance.

Diamondhead fired crystal shards at Cthylla, who laughed again and released Nathan, who dropped to the ground. Cthylla moved away, still laughing as Diamondhead and his friends chased and battled her and the Techadon Robots. Audrey and Duke examined Nathan.

"Nathan?" Audrey asked, checking his vitals. She could see where the razors cut into his clothes and skin, causing him to bleed. Nathan stirred and tried to get up, only to lose his balance. Audrey supported him.

"Troubles . . ." Nathan said in a half-dazed tone. He looked directly at Audrey and Duke. "She feeds on Troubles. They give her strength."

"No more talking, Nathan," Audrey said. "We need to look at those wounds. Duke, help me take him behind that rock. No! Don't touch him there!"

It was too late. Duke's fingers brushed against one of the gashes and the blood seeped into his skin. Duke's eyes glowed silver as he heard the battle. He then ran at the nearest Techadon Robot and punched a hole through its chest. As the Robot fell, Diamondhead and his friends stared at Duke, now repeating punching another Techadon Robot to the ground, with their mouths opened.

"Is that Duke's Trouble?" Gwen asked while simultaneously healing Nathan. Audrey nodded. "Is that good or bad?"

"Both," Nathan and Audrey said when Gwen was done healing.

Cthylla laughed louder and sprouted two large white feathered wings twice her size, between the tentacles. She flew at Duke and grabbed him. Once she had him, she flew higher in the sky.

"Main course," Cthylla seductively whispered as her eyes glowed again, and fed on Duke's Trouble. The silver glow in Duke's eyes faded like dying embers and he closed his eyes as Cthylla continued to feed.

Rook, Diamondhead, Gwen, even Audrey and Nathan, fired at Cthylla, trying not to hit Duke. One of Audrey's bullets clipped some feathers on one of Cthylla's wings, causing her to release Duke.

"No!" Nathan and Audrey screamed, watching Duke fall . . .

. . . into a swirling portal of bright blue and white light.

"I believe he belongs with you," Paradox said, walking out of a portal of swirling bright blue and white light. Duke's arm was draped across Paradox's shoulders, as he dragged Duke's unconscious body to Nathan and Audrey, who took him. Seeing Duke was safe, Gwen returned battling Cthylla. Paradox looked to the side once Duke was with Nathan and Audrey. "You must excuse me. I think she made a wrong turn."

Nathan and Audrey were not paying attention to Paradox as they took Duke behind a rock. Once there, they checked his vital signs. His breathing and pulse were slow. Audrey was about to perform CPR, when Zed saw Duke and stopped. She whined as she came closer to his body and examined him. She bumped Duke's body with her muzzle and whined again when she got no response. Zed then rapidly licked Duke's face. Audrey was about to shoo Zed away, when Duke's face began to react to Zed's licking.

"Okay, okay. I'm alive!" Duke said, waking up and Zed stopped licking his face.

Zed happily barked as she wagged her tail and gave Duke one final lick as he sat up. Duke had a small smile on his face as he patted Zed's neck.

"Good alien dog," Duke said, giving Zed one last pat before she returned to the battle.

"Are you all right, Duke?" Audrey asked a little worried.

"Considering I'm covered in alien dog drool and I almost had the life sucked out of me, I think I'll be fine," Duke said, then glared at Nathan. "Don't say anything."

Nathan just shrugged causally in response; besides, he felt too worn out to make a smart remark.

Cthylla and the Techadon Robots showed no signs of slowing down, and no one had any luck getting close to freeing Holden. Cthylla seemed to become bored of fighting, and scanned the area. She flew off and soon found the three adults. Cthylla picked up Audrey and flew away with her. When Cthylla was far enough, she threw Audrey to the ground and held her down.

"Dessert," Cthylla seductively whispered and her orange eyes glowed once more. She then whispered to Audrey: "A rare delicacy."

Nathan and Duke ran at Cthylla, tripping as they ran, showing signs they were not fully recovered from their own encounters with Cthylla. They were blocked by a barrier of thrashing tentacles and flapping wings. Rook and Kevin had followed Cthylla and battled the moving appendages. Audrey was not doing well. She could feel her life energy drain as memories from past lives flood her mind: Lucy . . . Sarah . . . Audrey was not only losing her life, but her own sense of self.

Both Nathan and Duke could see Audrey becoming weaker; they then looked at each other and had the same thought: they could no longer wait.

The two men dashed forward, causing Rook and Kevin to pause in their attack.

"No wonder he doesn't want to change the color of his car," Kevin commented. "He already lost his mind."

Nathan and Duke ignored the obstacles in their path and together they both pushed Cthylla off of Audrey. Nathan gathered Audrey's unconscious body in his arms and both men ran for a place to take care of her. Cthylla did not follow them since Rook and Kevin distracted her.

"How is she?" Nathan asked, once they found a place to stop and lay Audrey down.

Duke checked her vital signs; her pulse was very weak. Duke's look to Nathan expressed the truth.

"Start CPR. I'm calling an ambulance," Nathan said, getting his phone out.

"What? Nathan, we can't bring other people—"

"Duke, do it NOW!" Nathan demanded, and Duke complied.

Audrey didn't wake up when Nathan was done with the call, so he took a turn on reviving her.

"Nathan . . . what if Audrey doesn't wake up?" Duke asked in a worried tone that made Nathan stop and look at him. He never heard Duke sound so . . . _scared _before.

"She . . . the EMTs are coming . . ." Nathan said.

"What can they do?" Duke asked, coming closer to both Nathan and Audrey. He looked at Audrey. "She's different . . . what happened to her is . . . different . . ."

"No," Nathan said, touching her hair. "We . . . can't lose her like this."

Nathan and Duke didn't realize it, but they were both began crying. A tear from each of them landed on both of Audrey's cheeks. Audrey groaned and moaned, getting the men's attention.

"Nathan? . . . Duke . . .?" Audrey mumbled as the blurred figures in front of her became clearer.

"Audrey?" was all they could say.

"Were you . . . guys . . . crying?" Audrey asked, seeing their eyes.

Her answer was Nathan and Duke both hugging her.

This was when the Omnitrix timed out, leaving a human Ben in place of Diamondhead. Cthylla laughed, floating over the water and transformed into a gigantic red octopus with black rings. She now had six orange eyes, and her wings seemed small compared to her now huge body. Ben gulped.

"Come on, Omnitrix, give me something useful, please!" Ben begged as he worked on the Omnitrix and activated it. Ben changed into a tall humanoid robot with a green and white body. There were cylinders on his arms and near his wrists full of green energy. He also had a pointed armor helmet.

"Atomix! Excelsior!" Atomix said and flew at Cthylla.

Audrey, Nathan, and Duke all sat up and stared at Atomix. Did he really say _that_?

"Fusion Cuisine!" Atomix said, raising his hands above his head and created a bright ball of green energy in-between them. He then threw it at Cthylla.

"Oh, good, you're all still alive," Paradox's voice said. The three adults turned around to see Paradox standing behind them.

"Where were you?" Duke demanded.

"Why are you here?" Nathan asked at the same time.

"My! You're like the children when they first met me! Thank the cosmos that your personalities are nothing alike!" Paradox said with a tiny smile. "Actually, I've just come to give the three of you a warning, but that could wait."

"Wait? Until what?" Audrey asked.

"Until I see if you all survive," Paradox said.

"Holden!" Cecilia's voice called out.

Everyone looked to see Cecilia coming out of her car.

"Mom!" Holden responded; there was relief in his voice.

Cecilia then froze, not knowing what to do next. The trio looked at Paradox, but he was already gone. Audrey studied the scene.

"Holden has to be reunited with his mother," Audrey said; the men looked at her. "If that happens, Holden's Trouble will be reversed."

"How are we going to do that?" Nathan asked. Audrey sighed.

"By doing something completely insane," Audrey said. "Draw away Cthylla."

"You're right, that's completely insane," Duke said and looked at Atomix and his friends battling Cthylla and the Techadon Robots. "But if that's what it takes to get out of this Japanese monster movie, I'm in."

"I agree," Nathan said.

"Follow me," Audrey said and ran towards the beach. Nathan and Duke were right behind her.

They almost got in the middle of the fighting, but all they wanted was to get Cthylla's attention, which worked.

"FOOD!" Cthylla exclaimed when she saw the three adults. The trio ran down the shore; Cthylla followed them.

"Be calm, citizens! I'll shall—" Atomix said.

"No! Save the kid!" the three friends yelled as one.

"Right!" Atomix said and saluted. Atomix soon found the Techadon Robot holding Holden and flew at it. Gwen, Rook, Kevin, and Zed did their best to slow down Cthylla.

"Fissile Whistle!" Atomix said, ramming through the Techadon Robot's head, causing it to drop Holden. Holden got back on his feet and looked around.

"Holden!" Cecilia cried out again and ran toward him.

"Mom!" Holden exclaimed, running towards her.

Atomix, his friends, and the trio were now all aware that mother and son were going to be reunited. Each one did their best to prevent the Techadon Robots or Cthylla from interfering. Holden and Cecilia met in the middle of the cove, each somehow surprisingly unharmed.

"Mom, you came for me!" Holden said, hugging his mom.

"Oh, Holden," Cecilia said, looking at him. Her face was now young and vibrant again. "I'm so sorry! After your father—"

"Mom, can we not talk and focus that we're alive?" Holden asked.

"Yes, sweetie, whatever you want," Cecilia said, smiling.

Cecilia and Holden hugged again. A ripple of light emitted from Holden's body that made everyone stop, because they all felt it. Even Nathan _felt_ it. As the ripple passed through the Techadon Robots, they vanished, returning to their home planet. Atomix landed next to the three adults, as Kevin and Gwen returned to their human forms, and with the rest of their friends, joined up with Atomix, Audrey, Nathan, and Duke. Atomix then changed back into Ben.

"That's it?! That what's needed to save the world?" Ben asked in utter disbelief. "A hug?! It's that simple?!"

"Trust us, Ben, getting something simple like that to happen in Haven is _very_ complicated," Audrey said, resting her hand on Ben's hair. She was almost using him as a crutch; she still felt drained after what Cthylla did to her. Her legs almost gave out on her, when Ben stabilized her, and gave her a smile, which Audrey returned. Nathan and Duke also had trouble standing; Rook and Kevin kept Nathan up, while Gwen assisted Duke and Zed helped him stay on his feet.

"I shall have the key!" Cthylla yelled, getting everyone's attention. She reached for Holden.

"I won't allow it, Cthylla," Paradox's voice said. Cthylla turned to the side to see Paradox standing there.

"Time Walker," Cthylla spat out those words as if they were poison in her mouth. "What are you doing here? You cannot interfere. You above anyone else know the rules."

"True," Paradox said and took out a pocket watch. "However Maturin asked for a favor."

Paradox opened the pocket watch and out came a blinding light. When the light faded, all they saw was Paradox putting his watch away. They all ran to him, except Cecilia and Holden, who were busy talking to each other.

"Paradox?" Ben asked when they reached him. "What? . . . When ? . . . How? . . . Cthylla? . . ."

"She's right here," Paradox said, showing everyone a glass bottle about the size of his palm with a cork stopper in his hand. Inside the bottle was a red liquid, angrily splashing about.

"Is that Cthylla?" Rook asked.

"Yes. Do not worry. She's safely imprisoned," Paradox said.

"What's going to happen to her?" Gwen asked.

"She's going somewhere where she cannot escape, or better yet, nowhere," Paradox said and chuckled at his own joke, which he alone understood. Kevin moved closer for a better look.

"Heh, I wonder what happens if you tap the glass," Kevin said, reaching for it. An outraged orange eye appeared and glared at them. Kevin backed up as the eye vanished. "Yeah . . . maybe you should take her away now."

"Of course; our first stop is to meet with Maturin," Paradox said.

Ben, his friends, and the three adults turned when they heard ambulance sirens and saw the EMTs arriving.

"Paradox, who is Maturin?" Audrey asked, looking at Paradox, only to find him gone. So she checked on Holden and Cecilia.

She saw Paradox handing Holden a bag of gumballs.


	5. Ticket to Ride

_Note: Well, the story is now complete. I don't know if I'll write a sequel, but who knows? Hey, if you have an idea for a sequel and would like to write about it, let me know, and if you get my stamp of approval, take the idea and go for it!_

_Thank you to everyone who read this story! I hope you enjoyed it!_

Ch. 5: Ticket to Ride

"There's one thing I still don't get, Paradox," Ben said.

Everyone was back at the Grey Gull, getting something to eat. Even the trio agreed to that idea since their encounter with Cthylla left them a little weak. Duke found enough food and drink for everyone, even some leftover stew for Zed to eat. Right now, Audrey, Nathan, and Duke were at the other side of the room either on their phones or checking each other for injuries that the EMTs missed.

"Why did they have to be there?" Ben asked, indicating the three adults. "I mean, they did help . . . a little . . . but they could have been eaten by Cthylla . . . so why—"

"Ah, yes," Paradox said and sipped of his tea; he didn't really need to drink, but it was centuries since he had a good cup of tea. "I must confess there was a spiritual lesson that they needed to experience."

"Which was?" Ben asked, trying to hide his confusion.

"That the bonds of the trinity can never be broken," Paradox said.

Ben looked totally baffled.

"Huh? What does . . .? Why? How—" Ben started to say, but stopped to rub his forehead. "Forget it; sometimes I think Kevin is right: nothing makes sense when you're around."

"So how are the Schuylers?" Gwen asked the three adults, seeing Audrey, Nathan, and Duke joining the rest of them; Duke stopped to give Zed more stew.

"They're going to be fine," Audrey said. "Cecilia is going to see a therapist soon to work with her paranoia and agoraphobia."

"And she and Holden are planning to visit Yellowstone in six months," Nathan added.

"That is excellent news," Rook said, smiling.

"You know, Zed, you're pretty cool for an alien dog," Duke said, petting her head. Zed wagged her tail and gave Duke's hand a lick hearing him. "You're the type of pet that could fit into my life."

"If it appeals to you, Duke, there might be a way," Paradox said, and looked at Audrey and Nathan as well. "If you all are interested, there is a pet shop owned by an acquaintance of mine. His name is—"

"There! We're done!" Driba said.

"It should work now," Blukic said, "since I did all the hard work."

"No, I—"

"Stop, just stop," Duke said, walking up to Blukic and Driba. "You can argue back in your own dimension, not here. In fact, you are banned from the Grey Gull."

Blukic and Driba looked completely insulted.

"Why, I never!" Driba declared.

"Ungrateful human," Blukic complained.

Duke ignored them, and looked at Ben and his friends.

"If you're brought back here again, you can always have free meals at the Grey Gull, even you Zed," Duke said, smiling.

"Thank you," Rook said, smiling, shaking Duke's hand.

"Yeah . . . hey, if you ever find yourself in a place called Bellwood, look us up," Ben said.

"I don't think that would happen, Ben," Gwen said, then paused and thought about it. She then took out a pen and a small writing pad. "But then again, from what we've seen in Haven, maybe it could. Here's our phone numbers if you ever find yourselves in Bellwood."

Audrey thanked Gwen as she received the phone numbers.

"Here, listen," Kevin said, taking Nathan to the side. "If you want, I can repaint your car for free."

"Thanks, Kevin, but no," Nathan said, trying to sound polite.

"Come on, you'll get more ladies if your car was a better color," Kevin said with a smile.

"Actually, I do," Nathan said in a low voice, indicating Audrey with a nod of his head.

"Audrey? Why is she . . . wait, she's immune to Troubles, which means . . . whoa! Nice!" Kevin said with a wide smile, figuring it out, and shook Nathan's hand.

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked, apparently overhearing them.

"Just guy stuff, babe, nothing to worry about," Kevin said, trying to sound innocent, as he and Nathan rejoined the group. Gwen rolled her eyes and looked annoyed.

"Take it easy on them, Gwen," Audrey said, putting her hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Let me let you in on a secret: boys will always act immature, no matter what their age; just remember you will always be smarter than them."

"Hey!" Ben, Kevin, Nathan, and Duke exclaimed in an indignant tone, as Gwen laughed and she and Audrey hugged.

"I must say, I am impressed on how quickly you all adapt on handing situations with uncommon factors," Rook said, proudly shaking hands with the trio. "You three would have been exemplary Plumbers."

They thanked him. The three looked at each other and decided to put into action what they talked about earlier. Nathan and Duke walked over to Gwen and kissed her cheeks, causing her to blush. Before Ben or Kevin could say anything, Audrey walked over to them and kissed the boys on their foreheads, making them blush as well. Rook looked confused, not fully understanding the purpose of this human interaction. Paradox softly laughed, while Audrey, Nathan, and Duke smiled at their work.

"You know, besides Grandpa Max, you three are the coolest adults I've met," Ben said, smiling, but then he looked sad. "It's too bad we can't hang out more."

"Not necessary," Paradox said, making everyone look at him. "Since now I know, if you pardon the pun, the path to Haven, I can bring you here, when it is fitting. The same applies to them: I can bring them back to our dimension whenever they like."

"Really? Sweet!" Ben cheered. He then looked at the trio with excitement in his eyes. "I'll show you all of Bellwood . . . you'll love Plumbers Headquarters . . . I'll give you an exclusive tour of Undertown . . . we are so visiting every Mr. Smoothy . . ."

"Ben," Gwen said. "Shouldn't we return to our dimension first?"

"Oh, yeah . . . that makes sense," Ben admitted. He then gave Audrey, Nathan, and Duke a smile of thanks.

Ben and his friends walked onto the teleportation pad, while Blukic and Driba worked on the controls; Paradox stood next to the teleportor.

"Time to go, but first a warning to our new friends," Paradox said, and looked at Audrey, Nathan, and Duke with a serious expression.

"Beware the Lighthouse. Beware the Stranger, William," Paradox said in an ominous voice.

"So long!" Paradox added with a cheerful tone, as Ben and his friends waved at them.

There was a flash of light, and then it was gone, along with everything and everyone not from Haven. The three just stood there for a minute, trying to make sense of Paradox's words.

"What was that about?" Audrey finally asked.

"Who knows? All I know is now that the minors are gone, I can finally get out the alcohol," Duke said and went behind the bar to get the bottle he saved for very strange Haven events. Nathan and Audrey had to agree and joined him.

"Should we worry what Paradox said?" Audrey asked, as Duke got out glasses and poured each of them a drink.

"I don't know," Nathan said, as he picked up his glass and looked at it while he smiled. "For some reason, after what happened today, I feel like I can handle anything."

"Nothing can compare what happened today," Duke said, smiling. "And I'm glad."

"Yeah, you're both right," Audrey said with a small smile.

The three of them toasted and drank.

* * *

><p>Maturin was very pleased.<p> 


End file.
